Tullow has been prospecting for oil in the Turkana region of Kenya since 2012, and recently exported its first 250,000 barrels to a Chinese company for a reported $12 million. Tullow says the company and its partners have so far invested $2 billion into its Kenyan operations. Turkana was ravaged by drought in spring and summer 2019 but has since experienced major downpours.

But the project has been beset by problems. The company has been accused of failing to properly compensate the communities its operations impact, and it is now looking to scale back its activity in the region.